da cassino： A 115-run partnership between Mahendra Singh Dhoni and VVS Laxman after a sudden wicket burst pushed India back into contention
The Bulletin by Dileep Premachandran in Delhi23-Nov-2007
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
VVS Laxman bailed India out of trouble with some gorgeous shots down the ground and through midwicket in his unbeaten 57 © AFP
A match that appeared to be drifting inexorably in Pakistan’s direction inthe afternoon session was left tantalisingly poised after a 115-runpartnership between Mahendra Singh Dhoni and VVS Laxman pushed India backinto contention. Shoaib Akhtar bowled with tremendous pace to dismiss bothopeners, and there were two wickets too for Sohail Tanvir on debut, butafter slumping to 93 for 5, India would have been satisfied to end the dayjust three runs adrift.Dhoni and Laxman eased the immediate pressure with scampered singles, apattern broken only when Dhoni cut Mohammad Sami powerfully for four.Laxman then played two magnificent strokes down the ground off Tanvir, andDhoni greeted Danish Kaneria’s reintroduction with a savage cut for four,but at tea, it was still Pakistan that were dictating terms.The complexion of the game changed after tea though, with Dhoni’s straightswat off Kaneria revealing India’s positive intent. Laxman laced somegorgeous shots down the ground and through midwicket, while Dhoni muscledthe ball through the off side field whenever he was afforded the width.Shoaib Malik rotated his bowlers often, using Shoaib’s pace in shortbursts, and both batsmen were largely content to see him off. Even then,the runs came at four an over as the partnership mounted rapidly. A pushthrough cover took Dhoni to 50, but his movement thereafter was hamperedby the ankle that he had injured in Jaipur.John Gloster, the Indian physio, came on to give it some strapping, but itwas clearly a factor as he charged a Kaneria leg break to get the thinnestof edges through to Kamran Akmal. His 57 had spanned just 93 balls, andbeen the dominant part of a partnership similar to that which saved theLord’s Test for India in July.Laxman eased to his own half-century soon after, Anil Kumbleplayed one flamboyant square drive off Shoaib, and the fag end of the day wasall about consolidation. When the umpires offered the light at thescheduled close, with Pakistan well behind the over-rate, both Laxman andKumble had little hesitation in walking off.The situation when Dhoni arrived to a raucous ovation had been verydifferent. Rahul Dravid, who had played some lovely shots in his 38,saw his off stump knocked back by a Tanvir delivery that pitched onmiddle and leg and left him a shade. Coming soon after Ganguly’s departure- bowled off the inside edge to give Tanvir his first Test scalp – it puta severe dent in India’s hopes of establishing a first-innings lead.The unlikely figure of Mohammad Yousuf had provided a telling blow minutesearlier. A sizeable crowd had cheered Sachin Tendulkar all the way to thecrease, but when there was a mix-up between him and Dravid over going fora second run, Yousuf’s throw to the keeper found him inches short.Another run-out, albeit a much more bizarre one, had precipitated the endof the Pakistan innings in the morning. Neither Munaf Patel nor ZaheerKhan could break through with the relatively new ball, and after 40 moreminutes of being thwarted, Kumble brought himself and Ganguly on.And it was off Ganguly’s bowling that the 87-run partnership – a Pakistanirecord for the ninth wicket against India – was finally broken.Misbah-ul-Haq, who had faced 243 balls for his 82, played one to point andset off. He seemed to have made his ground when Dinesh Karthik’s throwcame in. But rather than get his body in the way, Misbah chose airborneevasive action and the ball struck the stumps. When the third umpire handed down his decision, the crowd erupted.It took Kumble just two balls to clean up Kaneria, leaving India’s vauntedbatting line-up to chart their own course on a pitch predicted to be at itsbest for batting on the second day. Though Karthik went before lunch,fending at a Shoaib delivery that moved away, Dravid and Wasim Jafferproceeded to put on 56 without too many alarms.Shoaib was the biggest threat, combining the odd unplayable delivery withsome wayward stuff. Clearly unhappy with the landing area on the pitch, heasked for sawdust, changed his boots and then kicked a ball away infrustration on his followthrough when he couldn’t find rhythm.The second coming proved to be luckier. Dismayed to see Billy Doctroveturn down a leg-before appeal against Jaffer in the opening over of theinnings, he returned to thud one into the pads at serious pace. In theensuing 6.2 overs, India would lose 4 for 22 and stumble towards an abyss.Fortunately for them, neither Laxman nor Dhoni were in freefalling mood.